Wall Pushups
One of the easiest pushing movements, this exercise is an incredible start to our Pushup series. The high angle makes this movement a lot easier than Full Pushups.
Although often considered “too easy” by seasoned athletes and rank beginners alike, almost anyone can benefit from a few sets of Wall Pushups. The low resistance allows the user to really focus on form - which builds healthy movement patterns for our harder variations!
They’re also a great therapy exercise. The gentle movement stretches stiff muscles and heals old wounds.
When in doubt, start here!
Standards
LEVEL 1: 2 Sets of 30
LEVEL 2: 2 Sets of 50
LEVEL 3: 3 Sets of 50
Start by doing 2 Sets of as many as you can OR 50. Once you can do 2 Sets of 50, add a third Set. Rest 2-3 minutes between Sets. Once you can do 3 Sets of 50 (Level 3) with GOOD FORM, you are ready to move on to a harder Pushup variation.
Form Cues
Slow and steady wins the race on this exercise. Don’t just speed through these. Find a controlled, rhythmic pace to really feel this movement. 2 Seconds Down, 1 Second Pause, 2 Seconds Up. Repeat.
Keep your hands around chest height. Hands placed too high put more work on our elbows than we need at the moment. Hands placed too low make it difficult to keep our palms flat. A good “rule of thumb” is being able to maintain flat palms and feel a slight stretch in your wrist while your arms are straight.
Keep your body firm. Don’t arch your body at the bottom to make the motion easier. Core strength is important for all calisthenics, and this is a great place to start building it.
Tutorial
Stand at arm’s length facing a wall.
Place your flat palms on the wall. Your arms should be straight.
Descend slowly until your head gently touches the wall.
Pause for 1 Second.
Slowly come back up.
Pause for 1 Second.
Repeat
Progression & Regression
To make this exercise harder: Do these through a doorframe or gymnastic rings to increase range of motion. Descend until you are unable to descend further before coming back up.
To make this exercise easier: Doing these on your knees will make them easier. However, because wall pushups are only slightly harder than opening doors, you may have better results with doing fewer wall pushups at first, rather than making them easier.